JP2009521309A - Particle separator for separating perforated cutting powder from air flow, drilling rig, and control method for particle separator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes an air inlet (17) that can be connected to a suction nozzle, an air filter (19) provided downstream of the air inlet (17), and an air outlet (downstream of the air filter (19) ( 18) with a main separating device (15) and having generating means for generating an air flow in the direction from the air inlet (17) to the air outlet (18). The present invention relates to a particle separation device for separating cutting powder. This particle separation apparatus has a measuring means (41) for measuring the amount of air flow and a control means for controlling the means for generating air flow based on the measured amount. The invention also relates to a drilling rig having a particle separator and a method for controlling the particle separator.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

 The present invention relates generally to the field of separating particles from a flow of air, and more particularly to a particle separation device for separating perforated cutting powder from a flow of air. The invention also relates to a drilling rig having such a particle separator and a control method for the particle separator.

 The particle separation device includes an air inlet that can be connected to a suction nozzle, an air filter provided downstream of the air inlet, and an air having a main separator equipped with an air outlet provided downstream of the air filter. Including a particle separation device for separating perforated cutting powder from the air flow, and the particle separation device has generating means for generating an air flow from the air inlet toward the air outlet.

  The present invention can be applied to any kind of construction / vehicle equipped with a particle separator. However, it is preferably applied to drilling rigs, in particular mobile drilling rigs drilling into rock and all kinds of drilling rigs drilling into ground rock.

  The background of the present invention is the problem with the short lifetime of hardware in air filters built into the particle separator and other components of the particle separator such as hoses and suction nozzles.

 In known particle separators (also known as dust separators, dust collectors, etc.), the fan rotation speed is fixed, and even if the air filter becomes clogged, the entire life of the air filter Is selected to be sufficiently high so that the air flow rate is sufficient throughout this stage. In the early stages of the air filter lifetime, the air flow rate is extremely high due to the clean air filter and low air resistance. However, due to the high air flow rate, dust / particles can penetrate deeply into the air filter upon impact, resulting in the air filter becoming clogged and frayed relatively quickly. In addition, the high speed rotation of the fan also causes other components to wear relatively strongly.

 An object of the present invention is to provide an improved particle separator by solving the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventionally known particle separators. The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved particle separation apparatus of the above type which extends the life of the components by controlling the air flow rate to reduce damage during operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a particle separation apparatus capable of effective and good separation throughout the life of the air filter by controlling the air flow rate. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a particle separation device with a small fan capacity and thereby low power consumption.

 According to the invention, at least the main object is achieved by a particle separator of the above type comprising the features of claim 1. More specifically, there is provided a particle separation apparatus of the above type comprising measuring means for measuring the amount of air flow and control means for controlling the means for generating air flow based on the measured amount.

 The present invention is therefore based on the important feature that the controlled air flow rate throughout the life of the air filter will extend the life engine of the air filter and other components.

 Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the measuring means is provided upstream of the air filter and the amount of air flow is the pressure of the air. A predetermined vacuum is obtained upstream of the air filter, thereby establishing a relatively compatible environment, particularly for the air filter and generally for other components.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the particle separation device also has a pre-separation device which is provided upstream of the main separation device, for example to separate relatively large particles from an air stream. As a result of the low air flow rate, the pre-separation device can separate particles well and relatively effectively. In known particle separation devices, generally, medium size particles follow the flow of air through the pre-separation device, but can be separated in the present invention.

 According to the invention, there is also provided a drilling rig according to claim 14 and a method according to claim 15.

 It is apparent that the above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

 It should be pointed out that the present invention can be applied to all kinds of vehicles, constructions and equipment equipped with dust and particle separation / collection devices. In this context, the term particle separation device as used in the claims and specification encompasses various types of devices configured to separate dust and particles from the created air stream. The various types of devices may be referred to as such, including dust separators, dust collectors, vacuum cleaners, and the like. In the following, the present invention will be described for a case where it is provided in a mobile drilling rig. This is merely considered as an example of a preferred application and is not limited to this.

 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the drilling rig denoted by reference numeral 1. The perforated rig 1 has a vehicle main body 2 that is supported by a pair of caterpillars 3, a grounding element, a wheel, and the like. The vehicle main body 2 includes a chassis 4 that forms an engine compartment provided in a rear portion of the vehicle main body 2 and a driver's cab 5 that operates a drilling rig 1 provided in a front portion of the vehicle main body 2. ing. By a pair of actuators, preferably in the form of fluid force cylinders 7, 8, the vehicle body 2 can be tilted about the axis 6 with respect to the caterpillar 3, or conversely, the caterpillar 3 is centered about the axis 6 with respect to the vehicle body 2. Can tilt as. The fluid force cylinders 7, 8 can be expanded and contracted independently of each other when, for example, the drilling rig 1 is operated on extremely rough ground and the caterpillar 3 needs to be directed at various angles with respect to the vehicle body 2.

 Further, the drilling rig 1 has a device 9 or feeder, which is supported by a bar device, which comprises one or more bars 10a, 10b. The bar device is connected to the front portion of the vehicle body 2, and the bar device can be turned in the horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body 2 by the actuator 11. Further, the first bar 10 a can be pivoted in the vertical direction by the actuator 12. On the other hand, the second bar 10b can be swung in the direction perpendicular to the first bar 10a by the actuator 13. The feeder 9 is provided at a front end portion of the second bar 10b. The feeder 9 includes a punching device 14, and can move relative to the second bar 10b in the front-rear and left-right directions. Therefore, the working radius and contact range of the drilling rig 1 are determined by the bar device and the feeder 9 which are of the usual type.

 Prior to performing the drilling operation, the feeder 9 is lowered so that its lower end is adjacent to the ground. In order to form a perforation either by impact drilling (drilling) or by using a constant contact pressure (drilling), the cutter head (not shown) is rotated in contact with the ground. A cutter head is provided at the lower free end of the digging tube (not shown) and is actuated by the drilling device 14. The lower end of the feeder 9 guides the digging pipe during operation. The cutter head can be driven, for example, by fluid force, pneumatically, mechanically, etc. During drilling, a drilling piece must be removed to prevent it from occurring below the drilling and hindering continuous drilling operations. The drilling piece is washed away from the drilling by introducing flush fluid into the drilling, for example at the cutter head. For example, the particle separation device according to the present invention can be used to remove excavated pieces from a perforated orifice.

 Reference is now also made to FIG. The particle separator according to the invention has a main separator indicated by reference numeral 15, which is connected to the drilling rig 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the main separating device 15 is provided in the rear part of the vehicle body 2 of the drilling rig 1 (see FIG. 1). However, the main separating device 15 may be provided at any appropriate position of the drilling rig 1, for example, at the front portion of the vehicle body 2 of the drilling rig 1 or below the chassis 4 of the vehicle body 2. The main separation device 15 has a housing 16, also known as a filter housing, which is provided with an air inlet 17 and an air outlet 18. The housing 16 is divided into an entrance partition chamber and an exit partition chamber by an air filter 19. The air filter 19 is provided downstream of the air inlet 17 and upstream of the air outlet 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the air filter 19 has several filter elements 20, which are connected to a partition plate 21. In the illustrated embodiment, each filter element 20 is constituted by a tubular element, one end of each filter element 20 being attached to a corresponding hole in the partition plate 21 and the other end of each filter element 20 being closed. . The air passes through the pipe wall of the filter element 20 from the inlet partition chamber, enters the inside of the filter element 20, passes through the hole in the partition plate 21, and flows to the outlet partition chamber. The filter 19 may be of any shape and size suitable for individual applications, and may be, for example, a flat filter element that separates the entrance and exit partition chambers.

 Further, the particle separator has means for creating an air flow from the air inlet 17 to the air outlet 18 of the main separator 15. Preferably, this means is constituted by a fan provided in the fan housing 22 in the main separating device 15 or an equivalent (not shown). Preferably, the fan is reversible or a separate compressed air device is provided to clean the filter element 20 by applying a short or long reverse air pulse or air flow through the filter 19. Said means may also consist of an ejector, whereby a flow of compressed air in the appropriate direction is generated, or a flow of air from the air inlet 17 to the air outlet 18 is generated by the jet effect. It should also be pointed out that other suitable means for generating air flow are included.

 In the preferred embodiment, the air inlet 17 is not directed to the filter 19; instead, the air flow is directed to the plate 23 or baffle to remove particles, solids, perforated excavations, etc. contained in the air flow. It is made to collide with the said plate 23. FIG. Upon impact, the particles lose kinetic energy and fall down away from the filter 19. The plate may be provided adjacent to the opposite wall of the housing 16 with respect to the air inlet 17 or may be provided closer to the air inlet 17 by connecting to a cross beam 24 or the like.

 Further, the particle separator 15 closes the particle outlet 25 when the particle outlet 25 and the air flow generating means are operating, and opens the particle outlet 25 when the air flow generating means is inactive. Element 26. The element 26 can be a lid, a cover or a flexible tube (see FIG. 1) as in the illustrated embodiment. For better understanding, the flexible tube 26 may be like part of the inner tube of a tractor tire. The flexible tube 26 may be provided at the particle outlet 25 and secured by a tube clamp, an eccentric lock or the like 42. During the operation of the air flow generating means, the flexible tube 26 is crushed due to the reduced pressure generated in the inlet partition chamber and closes the particle outlet 25.

 The air inlet 17 of the main separator 15 can be connected to a suction nozzle 27, also known as a suction hood (see FIG. 1). During the drilling operation, the suction nozzle 27 is provided in a drilling orifice (not shown). The suction nozzle 27 is connected to the lower end portion of the feeder 9 and is provided so as to seal between the perforated pipe and the perforated pipe so that the perforated excavated piece does not flow into the open air. The suction nozzle 27 includes an outlet 28, and an air inlet 17 of the particle separation device 15 is connected to the outlet 28 by a hose or the like so as to suck a drilled excavated piece from an orifice of the drilled hole. When an air flow is generated, the perforated excavation pieces are sucked into the main separator 15 and collide with the plate 23 and are collected in the lower part of the housing 16. When the air flow generating means is inactive, the decompression in the inlet partition chamber stops, so that the flexible hose 26 is opened and the collected particles are discharged.

 Reference is now made to FIG. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate preliminary separation device 29 is provided between the main separation device 15 and the suction nozzle 27. Preferably, the pre-separation device 29 is arranged close to the suction nozzle 27, and the hose from the outlet 28 of the suction nozzle 27 toward the pre-separation device 29, more precisely toward the air inlet 31 of the pre-separation device 29. 30 or a circuit extends and is connected to the air inlet 31 of the pre-separator 29. In the illustrated embodiment, the preliminary separation device 29 is connected to the feeder 9. It should be pointed out that the pre-separator 29 can be selected arbitrarily.

 The main purpose of the pre-separation device 29 is to separate the particles from the air flow at an early stage to protect other components located further downstream and in particular to separate large particles from the air flow. The pre-separation device 29 has a body 32, which is generally tubular in the illustrated embodiment. The first upper end of the main body 32 is closed with a lid 33, and the air outlet 34 of the preliminary separation device 29 extends outward from the lid 33. It should be understood that the lid 33 may be integrated with the body 32 of the pre-separation device 29. The air outlet 34 of the preliminary separation device 29 is connected to the air inlet 17 of the main separation device 15 by a hose 35, a conduit or the like. The air outlet 34 is preferably concentric with the lid 33 and the body 32 of the pre-separator 29, but may be arranged in any other suitable manner. An outlet pipe 36 extends inward from the lid 33, and the outlet pipe 36 terminates in the main body 32. The air inlet 31 of the preliminary separator 29 is arranged eccentrically with respect to the center line of the main body 32 of the preliminary separator 29 and the outlet pipe 36. Preferably, the air inlet 31 is disposed closer to the lid 33 than the free end of the outlet pipe 36. The pre-separator 29 acts as a cyclone and the particles hit the inside of the body 32 and lose kinetic energy or velocity. Subsequently, the particles fall downward in the main body 32 of the pre-separator 29 and the air flow moves downward in a spiral flow until it is sucked into the outlet pipe 36.

 A reinforcing member 37 is provided inside the body 32 near its first upper end, more precisely at the level of the air inlet 31, preferably in order to increase the resistance to impact of incoming particles. A particle outlet 38 is provided at the second lower end of the main body 32, and the particle outlet 38 is provided with a lattice 39 or an equivalent member. An element 40 (see FIG. 1) can be connected to the second lower end of the body 32. The function of the element 40 is to close the particle outlet 38 at the second lower end of the body 32 when the air flow generating means is operating, and when the air flow generating means is not operating. Open the particle outlet 38. The matters described above with respect to the element 26 of the main separator 15 can be applied to the element 40 of the preliminary separator 29. The particle outlet 25 of the main separator 15 is provided with a lattice like that provided at the particle outlet 38 of the preliminary separator 29. The purpose of the grid is to prevent the flexible hoses 26, 40 from being drawn into the housing 16 and body 32, respectively, during operation of the air flow generating means.

 The particle separator also has measuring means 41 for measuring the amount of air flow. Preferably, the measuring means 41 is a sensor that measures air pressure, air flow rate, or any other suitable amount of air flow. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor 41 is provided upstream of the air filter 19, more precisely in the inlet compartment of the main separation device 15. The sensor 41 should be arranged to be protected from direct impact of air flow.

 If the sensor 41 is placed in line with the air inlet 17, the sensor 41 may be damaged by incoming particles and fail to measure utilization. Accordingly, the sensor 41 is preferably disposed adjacent to the air inlet 17. It should be understood that the sensor 41 can alternatively be provided in the pre-separation device 29, in which case it can preferably be provided in the lid 33 adjacent to the outlet tube.

 The main purpose of the sensor 41 is to indicate the speed of the air and the distortion of the air filter 19. For example, an actual high vacuum in the inlet compartment or an actually low pressure represents a high air flow rate. The higher the air flow rate, the higher the kinetic energy of the particles. As a result, the air filter 19 or other components of the particle separation device such as the suction nozzle 27, the hose 30, 35 connecting the preliminary separation device 29 and the main separation device 15 and the preliminary separation device 29 and the main separation device 15 High risk of damage. For this reason, since the buoyancy due to the air flow in the particles is higher than the gravity, the particle separation performed in the preliminary separation device 29 is not sufficient. Furthermore, the almost infinite pressure reduction in the entrance partition chamber represents a low air flow rate. Even if the rotational speed of the fan is high, if the air flow rate is low, the air filter 19 is almost clogged and needs to be replaced.

 Furthermore, the particle separation device also has control means for controlling the means for generating the air flow based on the measured quantity. Preferably, the control means is a control unit (not shown) such as a CPU, the control unit being a separate one for the particle separator or one already in the drilling rig 1. The control unit is programmable and has a number of inputs and outputs for transmitting signals. The sensor 41 is preferably operatively connected to the control unit by wired or wireless communication. The function of the control unit is to control and adjust the output of the means for generating air flow in order to bring the measured amount of air flow to a predetermined level. For example, if the reduced pressure in the inlet partition chamber of the main separator 15 is above a predetermined value, the sensor 41 should transmit a signal corresponding to the measured value to the control unit to reduce the fan output. And vice versa. The signal from the sensor 41 can be transmitted continuously or at fixed intervals.

Possible modifications of the invention The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings. Thus, the particle separator can be modified in any way within the scope of the claims.

 When the fan or air flow generating means is driven by fluid force or aerodynamic force, the measuring means is a bellows or diaphragm provided in the main separation device or oil or air mechanically acting on the valve. It should be understood that it may be a control means that affects the flow to the fan and controls the output of the fan. In other words, the function of controlling the means for generating the air flow may be completely mechanical.

  It is also understood that all information about / related to the terms upper, lower, etc. should be interpreted in the normal manner of operation of the device as illustrated so that the code can be read properly.

The perspective view seen from diagonally upward of the drilling rig which has the particle | grain separator by this invention. The partial notch perspective view seen from diagonally upward of the main separator incorporated in the particle separator by this invention. The partial notch perspective view seen from diagonally upward of the preliminary separator integrated in the particle separator by this invention.

Claims (7)

An air inlet (17) that can be connected to the suction nozzle (27), an air filter (19) provided downstream of the air inlet (17), and an air outlet (18) provided downstream of the air filter (19) And a main separating device (15) with a generating means for generating an air flow in the direction from the air inlet (17) to the air outlet (18). In a particle separator for separating powder,
A particle separation apparatus comprising: a measuring means (41) for measuring the amount of air flow; and a control means for controlling a means for generating air flow based on the measured amount.    2. A particle separator according to claim 1, wherein said amount of air flow is air pressure.    2. A particle separator according to claim 1, wherein said amount of air flow is air velocity.    The particle separator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the measuring means (41) is provided upstream of an air filter.    The particle separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the measuring means (41) is provided in a main separation device (15).    The particle separator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air flow generating means is provided downstream of the filter.    7. The particle separator according to claim 6, wherein the air flow generating means is a fan.

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